Chattanooga Audubon Society

What Chattanooga Audubon Society does

Chattanooga Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation and environmental education organization founded in 1944 and headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It stewards approximately 500 acres across four distinct nature sanctuaries in Hamilton County — Audubon Acres, the 18.8-acre Maclellan Island in the Tennessee River, David Gray Sanctuary at Audubon Mountain, and Mackey Branch Wetland. The organization provides public access for hiking, bird watching, kayaking on South Chickamauga Creek, and primitive camping, alongside curated exhibits including a 1700s Cherokee heritage cabin, the Robert Myers Collection, and the C.E. Blevins Egg Collection.

The business model is community-supported and revenue-diversified. Income is generated through annual memberships (Individual $40, Family $55, Senior $30, Student $30, Photography $200), facility rentals for weddings, corporate events, and scouting groups, overnight camping distributed via Hipcamp, day-use admission ($5 per person on Maclellan Island), educational programs (field trips, summer camps, TN Naturalist Program, Wauhatchie Forest School), corporate sponsorship packages from $1,000 annually, planned-giving legacy gifts, and branded merchandise through Bonfire. The organization operates with a five-person staff and serves Chattanooga-area individuals, families, schools, scout groups, event hosts, photographers, and corporate partners.

Go-to-market is community-led: outreach is driven through the organization's website, Neon CRM email newsletter, Facebook presence, and signature events such as the Little Owl Lecture Series, Walker Farm Pioneer Days, Red Hawk Festival, Maclellan Island Eco Tours, and summer camps. Channel partnerships with Hipcamp (camping distribution) and L2 Outside (watercraft referrals) extend reach beyond what a small staff could achieve through direct channels alone. No proprietary technology platforms, mobile applications, or AI-driven capabilities are part of the operating model.

Name

Chattanooga Audubon Society

Legal name

Chattanooga Audubon Society

Website

https://chattanoogaaudubon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chattanooga Audubon Society is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1944 that stewards 500 acres across four nature sanctuaries in Chattanooga, Tennessee, offering memberships, educational programs, facility rentals, camping, and corporate sponsorships to the local community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Conservation and Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC), Wildlife Photography & Filming Experiences (Permitted Visitor Programs) (THAAAFAI), Guided Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives (Sanctuary/Reserve-Based) (THAAAFAF)

Keywords

• Nature conservation services
• Environmental education programs
• Wildlife sanctuary operations
• Outdoor recreation services
• Nonprofit membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing unlimited visits to Audubon Acres and Maclellan Island, event discounts, discounted facility rentals, camping discounts, and e-newsletter access. Extended hours access available for an additional $40 annually.
2. Facility rentals: Revenue from renting Audubon Acres facilities for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, scouting groups, and other group visits.
3. Camping fees: Revenue from overnight camping permits at Audubon Acres and Maclellan Island. Members camp free (up to 2 nights); non-members pay camping fees through Hipcamp booking platform.
4. Camping on Maclellan Island: Overnight camping permits sold through Hipcamp for Maclellan Island, an 18.8-acre nature sanctuary accessible only by water.
5. Corporate sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship packages beginning at $1,000 annually, with employee memberships, public event recognition, and private property tours as benefits.
6. Admission and program fees: Day-use fees for Maclellan Island ($5 per person), revenue from educational programs, field trips, summer camps, and naturalist program registrations.
7. Planned giving and donations: Legacy gifts through wills, trusts, retirement accounts, stocks, and estate plans. Also general donation revenue from supporters.
8. Merchandise sales: Branded merchandise sold through Bonfire online store, including commemorative products celebrating the organization's history.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chattanooga Audubon Society operates four nature sanctuaries totaling approximately 500 acres in Hamilton County, Tennessee, providing public access for hiking, bird watching, paddling, and wildlife observation. It sells memberships, day-use admissions, overnight camping permits, venue rentals, and a portfolio of fee-based environmental education programs (field trips, summer camps, the TN Naturalist Program, and Wauhatchie Forest School), sustained by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Chattanooga Audubon Society operates a portfolio of nature sanctuaries and environmental education programs across the Chattanooga area. The core offerings include four distinct nature sanctuaries (Audubon Acres, Maclellan Island, Audubon Mountain, and Mackey Branch Wetland) spanning approximately 500 acres. These are complemented by facility rentals for events, outdoor recreation services including camping at multiple locations, and comprehensive educational programs including field trips, summer camps, the TN Naturalist Program, and Wauhatchie Forest School. The society also offers a membership program providing unlimited sanctuary access and discounts on programs and rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audubon Acres A 180+ acre nature sanctuary featuring hiking trails, water access for paddling on South Chickamauga Creek, exhibits including the Robert Myers Collection and C.E. Blevins Egg Collection, and a 1700s Cherokee cabin exhibit. Open to members and the public for recreation, wildlife observation, and field trips.
• Maclellan Island Sanctuary An 18.8-acre nature sanctuary in the middle of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, offering 1.5 miles of hiking trails, bird watching, beaches, and overnight camping via permit. Accessible only by water, with a $5 per-person day-use fee for non-members and free access for members.
• David Gray Sanctuary at Audubon Mountain A nature sanctuary located at Audubon Mountain, one of four separate nature and wildlife sanctuaries managed by the Chattanooga Audubon Society in the Chattanooga area.
• Mackey Branch Wetland A wetland sanctuary, one of four separate nature and wildlife sanctuaries managed by the Chattanooga Audubon Society in the Chattanooga area.
• Facility Rentals Facility rentals at Audubon Acres for weddings, corporate experiences, birthday parties, scouting groups, and other group visits, including dedicated sub-categories for weddings, recurring rentals, corporate experiences, birthday parties, scouting, and group visits.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering unlimited visits to Audubon Acres and Maclellan Island, discounts on events and programs, discounted facility rentals, camping discounts (up to two free nights), and e-newsletter access. Tiers include Family ($55), Individual ($40), Senior ($30), Student ($30), and Photography ($200), with optional Extended Hours access add-on at $40 annually.
• Summer Camps Summer camp programs for children offering nature education and outdoor experiences at the Chattanooga Audubon Society sanctuaries.
• Field Trips Educational field trips for local students at the Chattanooga Audubon Society sanctuaries, providing hands-on nature-based learning experiences for school and youth groups.
• TN Naturalist Program Tennessee Naturalist Program offering naturalist education and training for adults at the Chattanooga Audubon Society sanctuaries.
• Wauhatchie Forest School at Audubon Forest school educational program at the Audubon sanctuary providing nature-based early learning and outdoor classroom experiences for children.
• Overnight Camping Overnight camping at Audubon Acres and Maclellan Island, with 5 different campsites across the two locations. Booked through the Hipcamp platform; CAS members camp free for up to two nights and receive discounts on longer stays.
• Photography Licenses and Membership Photography licenses and daily passes for personal and professional photography at the sanctuaries, plus a dedicated $200 annual photography membership providing daily passes and annual access.
• Corporate Sponsorship Packages Corporate sponsorship packages beginning at $1,000 annually, with benefits including employee memberships, public recognition at all events throughout the year, and private tours of properties. Custom packages are also available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 acres of wilderness protected in Hamilton County
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• L2 OutsideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerL2 Outside is a local outdoor recreation company that rents kayaks and paddleboards launching from Coolidge Park in Chattanooga. The Chattanooga Audubon Society recommends L2 Outside's rental service to visitors accessing Maclellan Island, which is accessible only by water. This is an informal GTM partnership where L2 Outside provides watercraft rentals that enable access to the organization's island sanctuary.
• HipcampcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHipcamp is an online outdoor recreation marketplace that lists and distributes the Chattanooga Audubon Society's camping reservations at Audubon Acres and Maclellan Island. The partnership allows the organization to manage campsite availability, bookings, and payments through Hipcamp's platform, reaching a broader audience of outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Hipcamp: Online outdoor recreation marketplace that distributes CAS's camping reservations. Comparable as a strategic distribution channel and ecosystem enabler, not a direct competitor—it monetizes CAS's campsite inventory rather than competing for it.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Tennessee Chapter): Large national conservation organization with Tennessee operations focused on land preservation and stewardship. Comparable in nonprofit conservation mission and land stewardship, but operates at vastly greater scale with a broader geographic and policy mandate than CAS's visitor-focused sanctuaries.
• Tennessee Wildlife Federation: Statewide nonprofit wildlife conservation and habitat advocacy organization. Comparable in mission (wildlife and habitat conservation in Tennessee) and as a community-supported nonprofit, though focused on policy advocacy and statewide programming rather than operating specific visitor sanctuaries.
• National Audubon Society: National umbrella organization for Audubon's mission; Chattanooga Audubon is an independent local chapter operating under the same brand heritage. Comparable as the broader institutional parent in wildlife conservation, environmental education, and sanctuary-based visitor programming, though National Audubon operates at vastly greater scale and as a policy/advocacy body rather than as a local land steward.
• Tennessee State Parks: Statewide network of public parks offering trails, camping, educational programming, and visitor centers across Tennessee. Comparable as a provider of outdoor recreation and environmental education experiences to overlapping visitor segments, though state-operated and at significantly larger scale than CAS's sanctuaries.

Emerging players

• Outdoor Chattanooga: Chattanooga municipal outdoor recreation program providing guided paddling, hiking, and outdoor education. Comparable as a Chattanooga-area outdoor recreation and education provider overlapping with CAS's paddling and nature programming, though without a sanctuary land base.

Direct peers

• Warner Park Nature Center: Nashville-based municipal nature center offering free trails, wildlife exhibits, and environmental education programs. Comparable as a Tennessee urban-area nature center competing for the same school field trip and family recreation segments with similar operating model.
• Lula Lake Land Trust: Nearby (Lookout Mountain, GA) nonprofit land trust protecting thousands of acres with public hiking access, educational programs, and conservation-focused mission. Highly comparable as a regional nonprofit operating preserved natural lands for public recreation and environmental education within driving distance of Chattanooga.
• Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center: Local Chattanooga-area nonprofit nature center operating 300+ acres of arboretum, wildlife habitats, and trails with similar educational programs, hiking, and event rentals. Directly comparable as a Chattanooga-metro nature preserve operator competing for the same visitor, school, and corporate event audience.

Regional players

• Tennessee Aquarium: Major Chattanooga-based nonprofit aquarium and conservation education institution. Comparable as a Tennessee River-focused environmental education nonprofit serving overlapping Chattanooga visitors, school groups, and tourists, though it operates an indoor facility rather than outdoor sanctuaries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chattaudubon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chattanooga-audubon-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chattanooga Audubon Society